Whiffletree-hook



(No Model.)

S. AUSTIN.

WHIFPLETREE HOOK.

Patented Aug. 25, 1885.

UNITE STATES PATENT Orifice.,

SELDEN AUSTIN, OF NORTH HAVEN, ASSIGNOR TO EDWARD T. BEACH, OF EAST WINDSOR, CONNECTICUT.

WHlFFLETREE-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 325,192, dated August 25, 1885.

Application tiled June 15, 1885.

To 'all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SELDEN AUsTIN, of North Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in VhifHetreedEIooks; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with accompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of' the same, and which said drawings constitute part of this specification, and represent, in-

Figure l, a side view; Fig. 2, a top view; Fig. 3, a side view showing section through the case.

This invention relates to an` improvement in that class of whiffietree-hooks in which the trace is secured tothe whiflietree by means of an eye or loop in theend of the trace set over a T-shaped stud in the end ofthe whiftletree, and secured there by means of a strap or some similar device through a hole in the stud. The difficulty in this manner of securing the trace is, that the device used is liable to break or to work out of the eye, and thereby allow the trace to become detached.

The object of this invention is to avoid these difficulties, and furnish a lock or catch which will securely hold the trace in place, and I do this by means of a construction as hereinafter described, and particularly specified in the claims.

A is the whifiietree.

B is the stud secured to the end of the whit'- fietree, and becoming substantially a part thereof-a common and well-known construction.

C is a case constructed for attachment to the whifietree, as shown, and incloses the operative mechanism.

D is the finger, hung within the case on a pivot, a, and extends longitudinally outside the case, and so as to swing in a vertical plane toward and from the stud B, in such manner that when the finger is closed the point b will enter the hole in the end of the stud as a support for the finger. The other end or tail, e, of' the finger extends in the opposite direction from the pivot u.

(No model.)

E is the locking-bolt, arranged longitudinally in the case C.

F is a spring, the tendency of' which is to force the bolt forwardu The holt is provided with a thumb-piece, Gr, secured to the end of the bolt outside the case.

H is a spring having a bearing under the finger D in front of the pivot a., the tendency of which is to force the finger upward.

To open the hook, draw theV bolt E backward by means of the thumbpiece G, and when the bolt E has escaped from the end of the tail e the finger D will rise under the action of the spring H, as shown in broken lines, Fig. 3, and the tail c will drop accordingly in front of the nose of the bolt. To close the hook, press the finger D down until the point b enters the hole in the 'stud B, as in Fig. 3, which will cause the tail to rise until the end escapes the bolt E; then thebolt will be forced by the springF under the tail e, thus securely locking the finger in its closed position.

The device may be used with other styles of hooks; but that above mentioned having an eye in the end is the most common and best adapted to this style of fastening.

Instead of applying the thumb-piece to the end of the bolt, as shown, it'may be otherwise applied, it only being essential that the bolt should he provided with a suitable thumb piece, by which it may be moved.

The spring H may be dispensed with, as the finger, if raised by hand, will be held open by the spring F forcing the bolt against the tail e at apoint below the pivot a, as seen in broken lines, Fig. 3.

I do not broadly claim a finger hung to the whifli etree, movin g toward and from the hook, for the purpose of securing or releasing the trace, as this, I am aware, is not new.

I claiml. The combination of the case C, constructed for attachment to the surface of the whiftietree, the finger D,hung in said ease and adapted to swing toward and from thc stud in the end of the whii'fietree,the said finger constructed with a tail, e, extending longitudinally upon the opposite side of' the'pivot on which the finger is hung", with the spring-bolt E, m- 2. The Combination of the oase C, linger D7 ranged longitudinally n tho onse in rear of spring-boli: E, and spring H, substantially as the pivot, the end of the said bolt constructed and for the purpose specified.

to pass beneath the tail e when the linger is SELDEN AUSTIN. 5 in its closed position, und so as to lool; the \Vitnessos:

finger in that position7 substantially :1s do- FRED. G. EARLE,

scribed. J. H. SHUMWAY. 

